Thursday, May 29, 2008

After a LOT of thought I have decided to place KUMA on Ebay. I hope I won't regret the choice , but I really feel he was meant to be shared with a new mom or dad. Hey,if he doesn't meet the reserve then he can stay with me :) He will be listed for 5 days , starting shortly. Click the Ebay logo on the right to see his auction later.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

I am so excited to introduce you , finally, to 12" KUMA made from recycled muskrat fur. I told you he was very different from my usual bears. I'm still not sure what to think of him. I have been wanting to try a realistic bear face for awhile and I think this was a good first try. However, He may be the one and only I make like this , wow what a lot of work !

I hope he was worth all the waiting ?

I'm not sure if he'll be available for sale or not. I've become quite attached to him after spending so many hours together LOL. I'll decide and let you know.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I am getting close to finishing this felted bear. Can you believe it :) I just need to permanently attach the head , stuff the belly and close the seams. I'll add a few final touches and show him to you tomorrow hopefully. He is very different from anything I have made. He is a more realistic looking bear I think. Here is a quick photo of the finished , shaded paws.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Do you have those days when you look in the mirror and wonder how you got like this ! Today is one of those days for me. Ya know , the kind where you just want to hide under the covers....sigh :(

As I was cleaning my daughter's room I stopped to check on her fish & frogs. There are 3 African Dwarf frogs and 1 of them ( the female )is ....well...obese ! Not sure why, maybe she is full of eggs. They all get fed the same, but this poor girl has issues and has had them for awhile :) Everything seems to go to her thighs LOL. I wonder if she knows she isn't as slim and trim as the others ? I had to take this picture , she appears to be looking at her reflection while the slimmer froggy watches. It made me laugh.

These frogs are quite neat actually. They live underwater, only eat twice a weeks , have poor eyesight and can live 30 years. They also make a high pitched humming noise, kind of like a mosquito buzzing . And, they are only about the size of your pinky finger. Cute little things !

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Yes, I am STILL working on this felted bear and only 1 broken needle to tell of. At this rate it may be winter before it is completed LOL. It does take a long time, but I have the muzzle almost done now. I'm not totally loving it yet so I'll keep at it. I made a more realistic apoxy sculpt nose and I am pleased with that. Keep peeking in and I hope to get this bear done this week. He may be a keeper if he is too hideous to face the world :)

Friday, May 23, 2008

I am a bit behind on my bear, but he/she is slowly taking form. I spent most of the day yesterday trying to fix my computer as my Internet connection went haywire. I did manage to get some time to work on the my Bear's feet. I decided to felt those and it took me 3 HOURS to do both feet. Felting is a neat art form, but time consuming when you felt firmly. I use mohair for the pads to grip the wool as I felt. I like the results so far. I plan to do shading later for added depth. I use core wool to start with and poke it over, and over, and over with the needles ....until it forms a toe,etc. It felts down really small and hard. I then use the needles to felt it onto the pawpad. More wool is added as needed to build the desired shape. The final layer is roving which is softer and gives a smoother finish. Different needles are required for different stages of the felting. These are incredibly SHARP needles that you do not want to poke yourself with....ouch. They remind me of fish hooks. The needles are fragile and can break easily too. You need to be focused when felting. No TV watching :) Now, I am not a felting expert by any means. I'm just sharing my technique, which I continue to improve as I go along. To see the work of the incredible artist I learned this technique from , check out LUXEMBEARS by Judi Paul. Jaw dropping work !

Here is my first attempt at felting from Judi's class in 2006. "Giggles" cracks me up when I look at him; he looks like a sloth from the Ice Age movie :)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I finally managed to cut out a new bear. He is my attempt at something different....no ,not a wolf or anything that different. As you can see he is missing a snout , and that is the "different" part. I hope to try some needle felting on this guy. Mind, you he may never get introduced to the world if things don't go as planned :) At least it will stretch my skills if nothing else ! Now, I don't mean to bore you with more beach pictures, but I just love the ocean. My son and I spontaneously jumped in the car tonight hoping to find a rainbow. The sky was ominous and I LOVE chasing rainbows, but this is where we ended up. No rainbows were found , but the waves were awesome(for here) and we watched the surfers enjoying the playground nature had provided. We could have stayed there all night enjoying God's breathtaking creation. It was a great mom/son unplanned quiet time together too. What a great way to end a rainy day. Don't they look like aliens that were dropped in the water with those wet suits on LOL.Thanks for peeking in -I hope you enjoy the photos !

Monday, May 19, 2008

That is what I feel like I should be doing when I look at this picture . I took it from my deck last night. It was so haunting , yet beautiful at the same time. Now, off to decide what bear to make next. I really feel the need to try something new and different. Maybe I should make a wolf ........We'll just have to see what happens!

Friday, May 16, 2008

What a crazy day ! My daughter called in tears from school this afternoon . She hurt her arm during an outdoor Gym class . I jumped in the van and was there to get her in 1.2 seconds I'm sure. It had started to swell and she said she heard it crack when she fell......not a good sign. So , off we went to the closest hospital where we waited for 2 hours. A paramedic, whom I know, was on duty and happened to be walking by the waiting area so he took a look at her arm. He figured it was broken ,told us it would be a long wait as they were short staffed 3 people , and sent us to the Children's hopital across the harbour for hopefully a shorter wait.

On our way we got caught in traffic due to an accident on the bridge. When we arrived at the 2nd hospital thick smoke started POURING out around the tires of the van , and fluid dripped underneath! We left it there and went inside. After xrays, the intern said her arm wasn't broken. A doctor returned awhile later and said , yes it was buckled and needed casting.

4 hours of waiting in 2 hospitals and my daughter now has a cast for 3 weeks, can't go camping with her friend this weekend, probably can't take part in her dance recital or band concert. She is a bit upset but not in pain really. Thank goodness. She's a real trooper ! I think she is actually excited to show everyone her arm. Oh, and the van is at the repair shop $$$

Not a day we want to repeat anytime soon. But, all is well and bones heal !! Oh,and I see Tundra will have a new home soon ....yippeeeeeeee

Thursday, May 15, 2008

I am thrilled with the way this polar cub came together. I hope you like him too. He is 8.5" made from Ivory Cross mink with black hairs throughout. He has a magnetic paw to hold his fishy. He will be on Ebay May 15th-18 until 10:15pm. Click the link to the right to see his auction.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

This polar bear is almost ready to make his debut. I just need to add some airbrush shading to the pawpads, add accessories (where are those fish ?), and take some photos outside tomorrow. I am quite excited to show you the final result all posed and looking cute.

I don't make ivory/polar bears often so I hope you like him. This photo really doesn't do the poor bear justice at all ! Just wait until tomorrow. I'm thinking this guy may go on Ebay ....but I'm not sure yet.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Apoxy sculpt..... I really hate the smell. It almost makes me gag . It reminds me of rotten fish or stinky socks. It is great stuff though !

I am just in the process of making some bear noses and thought I'd share. I am almost finished that bear that was a near disaster the other day. In the end I think it will turn out nicer than what I had planned with that grey fur. So, maybe it was a good thing to have the fur rip.

Back to noses......

I use two mediums: 1)polymer clay like Fimo or Sculpy (which you need to bake at 265C for 25-30min. 2)unbreakable 2 part apoxy sculpt (Which air drys in about 3-4 hours or 24 hours to totally cure. This stuff can be drilled and sanded without breaking.

I also add a wire loop in my noses to allow them to be securely sewn onto the bears face.

1) For the Fimo/Sculpy just kneed to soften and insert the wire , then shape the nose. Finger marks can be removed with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol. Bake as directed above.

2) For the Apoxy mix equal parts of A and B together. It may be sticky so let it sit for an hour. Then add the wire and shape. Let it air dry . The apoxy I bought is a natural color so I add paint when I mix the parts together. It is messy, but I had no luck painting the finished noses. The paint chipped off, although many people tell me it shouldn't.

Hopefully I can add a nose to my bear tomorrow so he can stop and smell the roses.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

I just spent the last 2 hours working on a 2 tone mink bear. Things were going well, until I got to the grey fur parts. The fur seemed o.k. until I tried to turn the pieces right side out.

LOOK.....the pelts literally tore apart like paper. That has only happened a couple of times. I didn't think the fur was weak; it wasn't dry or crinkly at all. I am not a happy camper , but better that it happened now then when I was closing seams. So , now those parts and that coat go in the trash. What a shame , it is a beautiful fur. Off to find another mink to use for the limbs. I guess that is o.k. though as I have to wait for an order of bear joints to arrive before I can finish this bear anyway.

Maybe I'll just start on something completely different tomorrow....sigh.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I don't know that I would call myself a real bear collector. I get such enjoyment from creating bears . But, I have a small collection on display that I'd like to share. Most are from swaps I have done with other artist friends. One I bought and 2 were gifts, including a big crocheted bear from a sweet collector & friend. I do cherish each and every one. I also have bear artist ornaments that are tucked away for Christmas. I'll share those when that time comes.

Crocheted bear from J.B. ( You know who you are !) Remember you can click to enlarge the pics. Enjoy.

Monday, May 5, 2008

I really am so proud of my kids today. Well, I am always proud of them. They are kind, thoughtful, humble , great students, and I love them to bits.My daughter just placed second in her category at her school historica fair. I am so excited for her. She chose a children's author, Robert Munsch, to write about as she has always loved his books. She even emailed him and got a personal reply.

I am proud of my son too. Yesterday he placed 1st in both of his motocross races. What a way to start the 2008 season ! It is so wonderful to watch my kids achievements. I am truly blessed each day to have them in my life.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

I admit I am not a hockey fan. Should I run and hide......hockey is Canada's favorite sport afterall ! But, the buzz in the neighbourhood closeby is the newly constructed sign. It speaks for itself. Sid the kid, our local celebrity has made the area proud. I just hope the hockey parents aren't pushing those little players too hard trying to be the next "Sidney"

Friday, May 2, 2008

I am almost finished with this new cub , and hope to have him ready by the end of today. I think he may go one Ebay, but I'm not sure yet. I bought a new camera, and I am still experimenting trying to get perfect pics. Here is a sneak peek in the meantime. I think he is one of my favorites! Enjoy .

UPDATE: TEDDY is now ready for and will be on EBAY tonight until May 5th